Field of Invention
This invention relates to a detachable automobile floor mat having a footrest, and more particularly, to a detachable automobile floor mat, having a footrest, which aids in keeping the driver's position comfortable and stable to aid the driver in maintaining a safe driving position. The invention further relates to a detachable mat for passenger use to aid in making the passenger(s) more comfortable.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,860,284 teaches a safety device for use with an automobile. This device is a block of compressible material which is placed on the floorboard of an automobile to aid the user thereof in maintaining his position during rapid deceleration, i.e. hard braking.
Japanese Patent Publication No. 58-48904 (1983) teaches an adjustable footrest which enables the angle of the footrest to be changed relative to the floorboard.
For those automobiles which include an immoveable footrest which protrudes from the floorboard, it is impossible to achieve the desired purposes of the present invention since the foot positioned thereat is able to rest at only a single position.
Considering the structure of the floor where the driver's feet are placed, the clutch pedal, the brake pedal and the accelerator pedal are positioned side by side on the inclined portion of the floor of the car. Except for the time the driver is shifting the gears of the car, one foot of the driver is positioned on the accelerator pedal and the other foot is positioned on the floor of the car. In this case, since the foot positioned on the accelerator pedal and the other foot positioned on the inclined portion of the floor are not at the same level relative to the floor and since the difference between the height of one foot from the floor and that of the other foot from the floor is very large, for example, approximately 10 Cm, the driver does not feel comfortable and tires easily. Under this situation, if the driver needs to step on the clutch pedal suddenly, it is very difficult for the driver to perform such an instantaneous reflex action due to the height difference, for example about 10 Cm, between the foot positioned on the floor and the clutch pedal.
In the case of a car with an automatic transmission, since there is no clutch pedal, one foot of the driver is always positioned on the floor. Accordingly, there is a height difference between the left and the right foot of the driver which may contribute to the driver's fatigue.
When a conventional floor mat is placed on the floor of the car, the front edge of the floor mat usually works its way into one or more of the pedals (accelerator pedal, brake pedal and clutch pedal), such that a portion of the mat may then be jammed between the floor of the car and the levers of the three pedals. As described above, if a portion of the floor mat becomes jammed between the floor of the car and one or more of the pedals, the operation of these pedals is impaired which may be very dangerous to driver and passenger.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an attachable automobile floor mat having a footrest which aids in keeping the a driver's position comfortable and can be attached to the floor of a car in order to prevent the undesirable movement of the floor mat.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a detachable floor mat for an automobile which is convenient for the driver and does not interfere with the operation of the pedals.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a detachable automobile floor mat having a foot rest for each passenger floor area.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a mat which can be simultaneously used with a footrest and which aids in securing the mat against sliding along the surface of the floor of an automobile.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a mat which enables the foot positioned opposite the accelerator of the automobile to attain a similar incline as the foot manipulating the accelerator without requiring the driver to consciously maintain a steady pressure on the footrest to achieve such incline.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a mat which utilizes a fixing means in combination with a notch or aperture to secure the footrest to the mat while simultaneously securing the mat to the floor of the automobile through the notch or aperture.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a mat which is detachable from the floor of the automobile for easy cleaning of both the mat and the floor.